While the level of investment required is a major “barrier” to overhauling our transport structure, Prof Caulfield said that a low carbon transport model will have “significant wider economic benefits”.

CEO of the National Transport Authority, Anne Graham, also told the Assembly that we need a complete transformation of our transport sector “notwithstanding the context of a recovering economy”.

Ms Graham said that a “significant step-change in attitudes and behaviours” from both policy makers and the public are vital in the transition to a climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable transport sector.

She added that public transport, walking and cycling needs to be at the “forefront of our thinking as part of the solution to tackle our reliance on fossil fuels” and bring down emissions.

Dublin Bikes Photo: ptrabattoni

Ms Graham said that key to this is the use of the Avoid-Shift-Improve model. This includes the reduction or avoidance of travel, a shift to more environmentally friendly modes of transport and an improvement in the energy efficiency of our vehicles greater investment.

She said that over €350m is being invested in public and sustainable transport in 2017, with additional funding for the operation of rural services. An additional €750m will be made available to fund the BusConnect programme to transform bus services in cities across the country.

“Collectively, these measures will greatly enhance the capacity of the public transport system and will provide viable alternatives to private car use,” Ms Graham said.

She added, however, that before investing in new infrastructure, the State has to maintain our current national and regional road networks which will cost in excess of €1 billion.

Environmental Journalist, John Gibbons told The Green News that he would instead prefer to hear more about actions to reduce transport emissions in the short-term as opposed to maintaining the road transport network.

“Rather than reducing, these emissions are currently rising sharply, and only radical top-down policies can impact that,” he added.

Joseph Curtin IIEA Citizens Assembly Photo: Niall Sargent

First weekend Comments

During its first sitting on climate change, the Assembly heard from policy, climate and weather forecasting experts on the current and potential impacts of climate change.

The analysis was clear that Ireland is failing to implement lasting policy change, will miss its binding 2020 emissions reduction targets, and is in line to experience more extreme weather events by mid-century.

Joseph Curtin of the Institute of International and European Affairs told the Assembly that the Irish State has “not stepped up to the plate” at any point over the past 15 years to put robust policy in place to deal with climate change.

EPA Director Laura Burke echoed Mr Curtin’s findings, telling the Assembly that Ireland’s emissions are “going in the wrong direction”, while Met Éireann’s Dr Saji Varghese said that Ireland must brace itself for significant changes in its weather system by 2050.

Afternoon Sessions and Recommendations

Later this afternoon, the Assembly will hear from international experts on how their countries have acted to tackle climate change and expects on agricultural emissions.

Tomorrow, the Assembly members will discuss and vote on recommendations for Government. The Government must then provide a response to each recommendation.

If the Government accepts a recommendation, it will provide a time frame for the holding of any related referendum.

About the Author

Niall Sargent

Niall is the Editor of The Green News. He is a multimedia journalist, with an MA in Investigative Journalism from City University, London